Random thoughts and essays on life, religion, science, ethics, and social issues.

"Truth is so obscure in these times, and falsehood so established, that, unless we love the truth, we cannot know it." - Blaise Pascal

July 26, 2011

Was the Norway gunman, Anders Behring Breivik, a "fundamentalist Christian"?

Many have been as quick to label Breivik a "fundamentalist Christan" as they have been to distance Islam from countless other acts of terrorism. Given that a "fundamentalist" is one who holds his particular religion and its founding documents to be accurate, authoritative and imperative (not just a "stupid sumbitch whose theological opinions are considerably to the right of mine"{1}), then one must wonder in what way Breivik qualifies. Most "fundamentalist" Christians would balk at his ideas that Christianity is merely a useful cultural banner, or that an atheistic cultural Christian is as good as a religious Christian, or that Jesus Christ would make any place at all for Odin and Norse mythology. I submit the following excerpts from Breivik's manifesto and ask you to consider whether these sound comparable to the sentiments of your average "Bible-thumping" Christian.

As long as there is separation between religion and state, those of us who don't have any religious belief should prefer religions which tend to create reasonable and prosperous communities. Our traditional Judeo-Christian religions have proven this capability.

If you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and God then you are a religious Christian. Myself and many more like me do not necessarily have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and God. We do however believe in Christianity as a cultural, social, identity and moral platform. This makes us Christian.

Being a Christian can mean many things … That you believe in and want to protect Europe’s Christian cultural heritage.

So no, you don’t need to have a personal relationship with God or Jesus to fight for our Christian cultural heritage. It is enough that you are a Christian-agnostic or a Christian-atheist (an atheist who wants to preserve at least the basics of the European Christian cultural legacy (Christian holidays, Christmas and Easter)).

The cultural factors are more important than your personal relationship with God, Jesus or the holy spirit.

I have studied Norse Mythology and have a lot of respect for the Odinist traditions. I consider myself to be a Christian, but Odinism is still and will always be an important part of my culture and identity.

The Church I love doesn’t exist anymore because it has been deconstructed. However, I know that it can be reformed and that it again will embrace and propagate principles of strength, honour and self defense. Instead of abandoning the Church we will save it and re-create it as a nationalistic Church which will tolerate and allow (to a very large degree) native cultures/heritage/thought systems such as Odinism.

Choosing a local/national group would be counterproductive as all the groups I am familiar with are Odinist orientated and not Christian identity groups. It is essential that we choose a banner that has the potential to appeal towards central and southern Europeans as well.

Religion: Christian, Protestant but I support a reformation of Protestantism leading to it being absorbed by Catholicism. The typical “Protestant Labour Church” has to be deconstructed as its creation was an attempt to abolish the Church

Religious: I went from moderately to agnostic to moderately religious

As for the Church and science, it is essential that science takes an undisputed precedence over biblical teachings.

“Logic” and rationalist thought (a certain degree of national Darwinism) should be the fundament of our societies.

Regarding my personal relationship with God, I guess I’m not an excessively religious man. I am first and foremost a man of logic. However, I am a supporter of a monocultural Christian Europe.

If there is a God I will be allowed to enter heaven as all other martyrs for the Church in the past.